In the remote expanses of Douglas, Arizona, the cattle ranch owned by Tyler Klump has become an unintended thoroughfare for illegal border crossings from Mexico.
The evidence of this illicit activity is strewn across his property, with discarded water bottles, backpacks, makeshift footwear designed to conceal footprints, and ladders for scaling the border wall all in plain sight.
According to The New York Post, the number of recorded migrant crossings in July dropped to the lowest levels seen since 2020, following a period of record highs under the Biden-Harris administration. The Border Patrol reported apprehending 57,000 migrants who crossed illegally in the past month, a significant decrease from the 250,000 recorded in December.
However, Klump's ranch lies in an area notorious as a "smuggler's paradise," a favored route for cartel operatives smuggling both drugs and people across the border undetected. The sparse population and hilly terrain, providing an ideal vantage point for lookouts, make it an attractive option for these illicit activities. Klump notes that despite the overall decrease in crossings, the foot traffic on his property remains as high as ever.
"The foot traffic is as high as it's ever been," Klump stated, expressing his frustration with Vice President Kamala Harris, who was tasked with addressing the issue of illegal border crossings. "Kamala, you're not helping anything. You're hurting us," he said. "You're very much putting money in the hands of the cartels and putting money in the hands of a lot of people, but you're darn sure not helping out your constituents."
Klump's hopes are pinned on a potential Donald Trump victory in the upcoming elections. He appreciates the border wall constructed along his property but points out a significant gap at the edge of a nearby mountain that needs addressing. The trash left behind by smugglers poses a significant threat to his cattle, who often consume the discarded items and fall ill, sometimes fatally. "It directly affects my cattle and my livelihood It has killed my cattle. I've lost a substantial amount of money," Klump lamented.
Arizona is a prime target for drug smugglers, with the notorious Mexican Sinaloa cartel operating across the border. In 2022, half of the deadly fentanyl seized in the US was found in Arizona. Just last week, border authorities in Nogales, Arizona, confiscated 4 million fentanyl pills, marking the largest seizure of the drug in agency history.
Adding to the problem, the US has left floodgates in the border wall open, allowing cartels to transport their products across the border with minimal resistance. During The Post's visit, Klump crossed into Mexico through one of these floodgates after noticing cattle hair stuck in some razor wire, fearing his cattle may have escaped.
The reduction in migrant crossings in July is attributed to Mexico's increased efforts to expel migrants to its southern border with Guatemala and the Biden administration's new measures to expel illegal crossers and block them from accessing the asylum system. However, these actions are seen as "too little, too late" by border agents who spoke to The Post, given the millions of illegal border crossers already in the country.
"He's trying to act tough on the border but we know he's been the most open border administration ever," one agent said. "Its way too little, too late. Nothing more than virtue signaling," another agent added. A third agent echoed these sentiments, stating, "Thats comical. Millions are in [the US] now and its just now that they realize the number of crossings a day is a problem. The damage is done and now the administration wants to slowly close the valve on the floodgates."
Login